Assay for lipid peroxides in animal tissues by thiobarbituric acid reaction

By late 18th or early 19th century, albino rats became the most commonly used experimental animals in numerous biomedical researches, as they have been recognized as the preeminent model mammalian system. But, the precise correlation between age of laboratory rats and human is still a subject of debate. A number of studies have tried to detect these correlations in various ways, But, have not successfully provided any proper association. Thus, the current review attempts to compare rat and human age at different phases of their life. The overall findings indicate that rats grow rapidly during their childhood and become sexually mature at about the sixth week, but attain social maturity 5-6 months later. In adulthood, every day of the animal is approximately equivalent to 34.8 human days (i.e., one rat month is comparable to three human years). Numerous researchers performed experimental investigations in albino rats and estimated, in general, while considering their entire life span, that a human month resembles every-day life of a laboratory rat. These differences signify the variations in their anatomy, physiology and developmental processes, which must be taken into consideration while analyzing the results or selecting the dose of any research in rats when age is a crucial factor.

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The Laboratory Rat: Relating Its Age With Human's

Thousands of years ago yoga originated in India, and in present day and age, an alarming awareness was observed in health and natural remedies among people by yoga and pranayama which has been proven an effective method for improving health in addition to prevention and management of diseases. With increasing scientific research in yoga, its therapeutic aspects are also being explored. Yoga is reported to reduce stress and anxiety, improves autonomic functions by triggering neurohormonal mechanisms by the suppression of sympathetic activity, and even, now‑a‑days, several reports suggested yoga is beneficial for physical health of cancer patients. Such global recognition of yoga also testifies to India’s growing cultural influence.

Health Impacts of Yoga and Pranayama: A State-of-the-Art Review

In the past five decades or so evidence has been accumulating about an environmental factor, which appears to be influencing mortality, in particular, cardiovascular mortality, and this is the hardness of the drinking water. In addition, several epidemiological investigations have demonstrated the relation between risk for cardiovascular disease, growth retardation, reproductive failure, and other health problems and hardness of drinking water or its content of magnesium and calcium. In addition, the acidity of the water influences the reabsorption of calcium and magnesium in the renal tubule. Not only, calcium and magnesium, but other constituents also affect different health aspects. Thus, the present review attempts to explore the health effects of hard water and its constituents.

http://www.ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/viewFile/1097/1112

Potential Health Impacts of Hard Water

Purpose:To investigate whether the sperm concentration of European men is deteriorating over the past 50 years of time.Materials and Methods:We analysed the data published in English language artic...

Decline in sperm count in European men during the past 50 years.

The available information on the effect of excess dietary magnesium on male reproduction is inadequate, though consumption of hard water rich in magnesium salt is not uncommon in many geographical areas. The present study has thus been undertaken to evaluate the morphological as well as cytological and functional changes in testis of magnesium administered sexually mature male Wistar rats. Significant increase in the activities of androgenic enzymes viz. delta(5)3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase with concomitant increase in serum testosterone level, followed by progressive development in cytoarchitechture of genital organs, without any significant alteration in quantitative spermatogenesis were observed. The results were more marked in the groups treated for longer duration. The results further suggests that the changes that occurred after excessive magnesium in testis were not for the enhanced adrenocortical activities or for the generation of oxidative stress in reproductive organs, but for the direct action of excess magnesium on male gonads. Magnesium supplementation thus has an apparent beneficial effect on male gonadal system.

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Effects of dietary magnesium on testicular histology, steroidogenesis, spermatogenesis and oxidative stress markers in adult rats.

Calcium is essential for functioning of different systems including male reproduction. However, it has also been reported as chemo-castrative agent. The study has been undertaken to elucidate the effect of excessive dietary calcium on male reproductive system in animals with possible action. Adult male healthy rats fed CaCl2 at different doses (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 g%) in diet for 13 and 26 days to investigate reproductive parameters as well as the markers of oxidative stress. Significant alteration was found (P < 0.05) in testicular and accessory sex organs weight, epididymal sperm count, testicular steroidogenic enzyme (Δ5 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD) activities, serum testosterone, LH, FSH, LPO, activities of antioxidant enzymes, testicular histoarchitecture along with adrenal Δ5 3β-HSD activity with corticosterone level in dose- and time-dependent manner. Overall observations suggest that excessive dietary calcium enhances the generation of free-radicals resulting in structural and functional disruption of male reproduction.

Excessive dietary calcium in the disruption of structural and functional status of adult male reproductive system in rat with possible mechanism

Dietary calcium induced cytological and biochemical changes in thyroid.

Till date knowledge regarding the effects of high dietary magnesium on thyroid gland is incomprehensive though certain epidemiological studies reported development of thyroid gland dysfunctions in people with chronic exposure to hard water (especially with high magnesium) despite sufficient iodine consumption. The present study is to explore the effects of chronic high dietary magnesium exposure on thyroid morphology and functional status. Male adult albino Wistar strain rats were treated with graded doses of magnesium sulphate (MgSO4; 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 g %) for 60 days and changes in different thyroid parameters were investigated. Significantly stimulated thyroid peroxidase and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and altered idothyronine 5'-deiodinase type I activities, enhanced serum thyroxine (T4) (both total and free), total triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid stimulating hormone with decreased free T3 levels and T3/T4 ratio (T3:T4) along with enlargement of thyroid with associated histopathological changes were observed in the treated groups. The results clearly confirm that chronic high dietary magnesium exposure causes potential thyroid disruption as reported in earlier epidemiological studies.

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Effects of magnesium on cytomorphology and enzyme activities in thyroid of rats.

Background: In iodine-replete basin of the river Ganga and the Bay of Bengal, we studied iodine nutritional status of school children by goiter prevalence and their urinary iodine (UI), iodine content in edible salt, and the bioavailability of iodine through water and its contribution to iodine nutrition. We also studied consumption pattern of common goitrogenic plants by measuring urinary thiocyanate (USCN), hardness of water (calcium and magnesium salt content) and assessed the effect of concomitant exposure of those environmental factors in goitrogenesis. Methods: 4603 children aged 6-12 years were examined for goiter by palpation, 520 urine samples were analyzed for UI and USCN; iodine content was estimated in 455 household salt and 130 water samples tested both for iodine and hardness. Results: The total goiter rate was 35.9%, median UI was 231 ΅g/l, mean USCN was 0.857 ± 0.48 mg/dl, iodine content in water was 44.7 ± 4.1 ΅g/l, 66.4% of salt samples contained iodine (15 ppm), and water was found to be hard. UI was correlated with both the drinking water iodine content and USCN and the degree of hardness in drinking water was associated with goiter prevalence. Conclusions: The studied population has endemic goitre despite iodine sufficiency. The concomitant exposure of a number of environmental factors, i.e., thiocyanate of cyanogenic plant food, hardness of drinking water, and excess iodine from environmental sources other than iodide salt are likely responsible for the causation and persistence of endemic goiter in the region.

Haimanti Goswami

Papers

Effects of dietary magnesium on testicular histology, steroidogenesis, spermatogenesis and oxidative stress markers in adult rats.

Excessive dietary calcium in the disruption of structural and functional status of adult male reproductive system in rat with possible mechanism

Dietary calcium induced cytological and biochemical changes in thyroid.

Effects of magnesium on cytomorphology and enzyme activities in thyroid of rats.

Environmental factors other than iodine deficiency in the pathogenesis of endemic goiter in the basin of river Ganga and Bay of Bengal, India